Marios

Marios is a beating heart of Melbourne's café culture, a wonderfully retro Italian café-restaurant that's been a Brunswick Street icon in the heart of Fitzroy since 1986. Founded by two Italian-Australian waiters, Mario Maccarone and Mario De Pasquale, with a radical vision for inclusive, unpretentious dining, it's long been a home for students, artists, musicians, writers and activists, and, as our community attests, it has served the queer community and their allies for a very long time, with queer folks among the team. The room has barely changed in decades: poster-lined walls, neon-red sign, waistcoated waiters and jam served in coffee cups, with the best seats at the window bar for watching Fitzroy stroll by. The food is classic and comforting: all-day breakfast, house-made pasta, and an unpretentious devotion to excellent coffee, at genuinely accessible prices. There are no bookings, so come ready to wait; it's worth it for one of the most authentic experiences in queer-friendly Fitzroy.